The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-03
AN EMINENT NOVELIST'S SON
Charles Dickens Thinks America Has
Improved Since His Father Was Here.
Noyelists Must Treat of Contemporaneous
Events to Be Successful, He Thinks-The
Impression lie Makes as Reader.

Among the loungers in the New Denison
lobby, last evening, was gentleman of dis
.inction, very much as his pictures in the Illus
rated and daily press have presented hi IN.
With the affability of the man of tho world the
quick observance Of the traveller and clearness
and readiness in expressing his views, he re-
eeived and entertained those who were present
ed to him. 1t Charles Dickens. the of
the eminent novelist. Mr.. Dickens had arrived
but an hour two before from his visit to
Terre Haute. Travelling by day and reading
a. night he said, has given me but little OPP
portunity to the inside of American life.
With the exception of a delightful evening
spent with Mark Twain at his home. a visit 60
Mrs. Fisids in Boston, and breakfast with the
Dickens Club at Avondale, Cincinnati have
seen but very little of American society off the
rostrum. I find, though, the same character
sites prevailing in all American cities with
iuits enough individuality to make travel inter
,stpg am impressed with the culture in
-FOUR city and country life. / able to
Judge it from hasty observation. There is but
little in American characteristics nowadays to
Justify the satire in Martin Chuzzlewit." and
the criticisms IN American Notes"
They are not so apparent, but now and then
marked traces of them can be found was sug-
Iested.
No doubt was in New York during the
recent election. aud the editors there were sufi-
GENTLY personal to delight the soul of Colonel
Diver"
Have you had the opportunity to study the
literary life Of the country"
Not on my present visit; but am acquainted
with il through the works of your authors and
the press It is very much the same here in
England. There the great weakness of writers
is lack of originality. Competition is sremen-
dous, and the pay for average work has
been lessened by the books of average
merit that being constantly produced.
Everybody seeks to write after Dickens
Thackeray. or somebody else. 1t is not the
fault of the market appreciative public,
for if a Dickens. Thackeray George Eliot
should write now. they would meet with greater
pecuniary reward than those authors did. The
reading class has increased enormously, and
the demand for books has grown accordingly"
What are the essentials for successful work
OF fiction9
They must treat, as rule of contempt
rary events occurring in the country where they
are written. or surrounding leading characters
of familiar origin. This is not true of the
United States as of France, Germany and Eng
land. Fielding, Smollett and Richardson still
find readers because they wrote of the times in
which they lived and of the characters by which
they were surrounded. My fathers Tale OF
Two Cities consider to be the best of his
sradn.1 TOT s,o vigorous b.ra ngsn a hnt
it and 'Barnaby Ridge are the
least popular of his novels because they were
based upon events in his own time. 1t is this
that will in time dim the light of Walter Scott,
for pure romance like sIvanhoe will be neglected
when The Antiquary,' The Heart of Mid-IIo-
THAN and others of his stories will remain pop
uiar because they are the results of personal OBJ
servation. 'Pickwick' and David Copperfeld'
will continue to 0s read for their genuine studies
of everyday life"
Mr.. Dickens referred to his visit to Indianapo-
lis having special interest in its being the
old home of the wife of very in timare friend
Mr.. Mcmillan, the husband of Mrs Nellie Bells
Hill He desired to much of it, and re-
GREETED that the weather in terfered with the
pleasure of his stay.